pparatus for automatic production of armatures

ABSTRACT

An automatic armature production line comprising an assembling machine by which the component parts of an armature core assembly are assembled, a bank of armature winding machines by which the armatures are wound, a welding machine by which the wire leads connecting successively wound coils are physically and electrically connected to the terminals of the commutator, a testing station at which the completed armatures are tested for electrical continuity and a transfer system by which the armature core assemblies and then the wound armature are quickly moved from one work station to another, the transfer system comprising a plurality of identical cylindrical carriers that have axial cavities into which the armature core assemblies and the wound armatures are inserted and which roll along downwardly inclined tracks that lead from station to station, and which carriers have a flat surface spaced from their axes of rotation to coact with flat surfaced guides at the different work stations to hold the carriers in positions of rotation at which the armature core assemblies and wound armatures have a predetermined rotary orientation with respect to the work performing mechanism at the work stations.

le Vasseur APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC PRODUCTION OF ARMATURES [75]Inventor: Arnold P, le Vasseur, Lakeville, I

Minn.

Possis Corporation, Minneapolis, Minn.

22 Filed: June7, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 477,549

[73] Assignee:

52 us. 01 214/1 Q; 198/244 Cadwallader 198/244 Primary Examiner-RobertJ. Spar Assistant ExaminerGeorge F. Abraham 57 ABSTRACT An automaticarmature production line comprising an 4 1451 Nov. 18,1975

assembling machine by which the component parts of w an armature coreassembly are assembled, abank of varmature winding machines-by which thearmatures are wound, a welding machine by which the wire leadsconnecting successively wound coils are physically and electricallyconnected to the terminals of the commutator, a testing station atwhichthe completed armatures are tested for electrical continuity and atransfer system by which the armature core assemblies and then the woundarmature are quickly moved from one work station to another, thetransfer system comprising a plurality of identical cylindrical carriersthat have axial cavities into which the armature core assemblies and thewound armatures are inserted and which roll along downwardly inclinedtracks that lead from station to station, and which carriers have a flatsurface spaced from their axes of rotation to coact with fiat surfacedguides at the different work stations to hold the carriers in positionsof rotation at which the armature core assemblies and wound armatureshave a predetermined rotary orientation with respect to the workperforming mechanism at the work stations.

18 Claims, 51 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Nov. 18,1975 Sheet 1 of 233,920,129

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- US. Patent Nov. 18,1975 Sheet 19 0f23 3,920,129

1. In apparatus for presenting articles to a work station at which poweractuated mechanism performs an operation upon the articles, theperformance of which requires that the articles be presented to saidmechanism in predetermined orientation with respect thereto, saidapparatus including a plurality of identical carriers each having acavity to receive an article, and a circular periphery on which thecarrier rolls down an inclined track to the work station, theimprovement by which said predetermined orientation is assured,comprising: A. rotation interrupting means on each carrier spaced fromits axis of rotation and by which the carrier can be held in apredetermined position of rotation; B. locating means on each carrier toengage an article inserted into its cavity and hold the same inpredetermined orientation with respect to the rotation interruptingmeans on the carrier; and C. holding means at the work stationcooperable with said rotation interrupting means on the carriers to holdthe carriers in a position of rotation in which the articles therein arein said predetermined orientation with respect to the power actuatedmechanism at the work station.
 2. a circular outer surface on which thecarrier can roll, and
 2. The invention defined by claim 1, furthercharacterized by: A. means for arresting bodily movement of the carriersas they reach a position contiguous to said holding means; and B. meansfor rotating the carriers while they occupy said position contiguous tothe holding means, to being their rotation interrupting means intocooperating relationship with said holding means.
 2. hub portionsflanking said circular middle flange portion, smaller in diameter thansaid flange portion, the peripheries of said circular middle flangeportion and of said hub portions being circular outer surfaces, any oneof which can be the surface on which the carrier rolls, and
 3. Theinvention defined by claim 1, wherein said rotation interrupting meanscomprises a non-circular portion on each carrier with a substantiallyflat surface which lies in a plane that is spaced radially from the axisof rotation of the carrier and forms a chord to said circular peripheryof the carrier.
 3. rotation interrupting means on the exterior of thebody by which the body can be held against rotation about its axis, andB. locating means on the body interengageable with an article insertedinto its cavity to locate and hold the article in predetermined rotaryorientation with respect to said rotation interrupting means.
 3. atleast one of said hub portions having a part thereof that is spaced fromsaid circular middle flange portion slabbed off to provide said flatsurface by which the body can be held against rotation.
 4. The inventiondefined by claim 3, wherein said holding means comprises a straightsurface thereon that is engageable by said substantially flat surface oNthe carriers.
 5. The invention defined by claim 1, wherein saidcooperating rotation interrupting and holding means comprise a magnetand a body of paramagnetic metal.
 6. The invention defined by claim 1,wherein said cooperating rotation interrupting and holding meanscomprise a photoelectric sensor positioned to detect an off-centerportion of a carrier, and means responsive to such detection to hold thecarrier against rotation.
 7. The invention defined by claim 1, whereinsaid rotation interrupting means comprises a hole opening to a surfaceof the carrier, and wherein said holding means comprises a protuberancethat enters said hole.
 8. The invention defined by claim 7, wherein saidhole opens to a circular surface on the carrier.
 9. The inventiondefined by claim 1, further characterized by: A. movable transfer meansto convey the carriers from the lower end of said track to the entranceto the work station; and B. holding means on the transfer means to coactwith said rotation interrupting means on the carriers to hold thecarriers in said position of rotation in which the articles therein bearsaid predetermined orientation with respect to the power actuatedmechanism at the work station.
 10. The invention defined by claim 9,further characterized by: guide means constraining the movement of saidmovable transfer means to rectilinear motion parallel with the axis ofrotation of the carrier being conveyed to the entrance of the workstation.
 11. The invention defined by claim 10, further characterizedby: power means to effect said rectilinear motion of the transfer meanstowards and from the entrance to said work station.
 12. A carrier bywhich an article may be quickly moved from one location to another,comprising: A. a body having
 13. The carrier defined by claim 12,further characterized in that all parts of the carrier are made ofelectrically non-conductive material, so that an article inserted intothe carrier can be tested electrically without removing it from thecarrier.
 14. The carrier defined by claim 12, wherein said rotationinterrupting means comprises a flat surface on the body that lies in aplane which forms a chord to its said circular outer surface.
 15. Thecarrier of claim 14, further characterized in that: the body isessentially cylindrical and has opposite ends and the cavity therein isformed by a bore that opens to said opposite ends, and the body furtherhaving
 16. The carrier of claim 12, wherein the body is essentiallycylindrical and the cavity therein is formed by an axial bore, andwherein said locating means comprises: a plurality of pins seated inlongitudinally extending pockets that open to the bore in the body, saidpockets accommodating a degree of bodily movement of the pins radiallytowards and from the axis of the bore; and biasing means resilientlyurging said pins radially inward towards the axis of the bore.
 17. Thecarrier of claim 16, wherein the body consists of mating sections thatare joined on the median plane of said circular middle flange portion,and wherein the bore which forms the article receiving cavity is in acylindrical sleeve embraced by said mating sections, and wherein saidcylindrical sleeve has a counterbore at one end thereof, said pocketsopening to said counterbore and also to an annular groove in theexterior of said cylindrical sleeve, and wherein said biasing means isan elastic ring seated in said annular groove in encircling relation tothe plurality of pins.
 18. The carrier of claim 17, wherein said matingsections are essentially identical and each provides one of said hubportions, and by virtue of their essential identity, each section has aflat surface by which the body can be held against rotation, and key andkeyway means on said mating sections and said cylindrical sleeve bywhich said flat surfaces are held in coplanar relation.